This week in Congress: Feb. 8, 2016

The U.S. Senate wrapped-up business last week by rejecting cloture on the the Energy Policy Modernization Act (S. 2012).  Roll-call vote is here.  You can read about the problem with this bill here.

Today, the US Senate begins consideration of the H.R. 757, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act. As the title suggests, the bill directs the President to increase enforcement of sanctions against North Korea. The bill passed the House by a vote of 418-2 last month. The only two Representatives opposing the bill where Representatives Justin Amash (MI-03)  and Thomas Massie (KY-04).

The House begins working on Tuesday this week. They kick-off with a bunch of suspension bills mostly dealing with veterans benefits. One bill that Campaign for Liberty members will find interesting (HR 677), provides for yearly cost of living increases for veterans. Since the Federal Reserve is keeping inflation “low”, why do veterans or any group of American for that matter, need automatic cost of living increases?

The House will also take up two pieces of legislation that Campaign for Liberty members should support. One is The Debt Management and 5 Fiscal Responsibility Act (HR 3442). This act requires the Treasury Secretary to testify to Congress whenever the debt limit is going to be reached.

The Secretary will be required to disclose the “historic, current, and projected levels of the debt; the drivers and composition of future debt; and how the United States will meet debt obligations if the debt limit is raised.”

The Treasury Secretary is also required to testify on the President’ s plan to reduce the debt, the impact increasing the debt limit will have on “…future government spending, debt service, and the position of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency..” as well as “…projections of the fiscal health and sustainability of major entitlement programs (including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid).”

The second bill is The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act (HR 2017). This legislation reforms the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s menu labeling rules to, for example, make sure they do not apply to “self-serve” food, so your favorite buffet or salad bar does not have to provide calorie counts for every possible food combination. It also relieves pizza businesses of having to provide calorie counts for every possible combination of pizza.

You can read more about this bill here.

Campaign for Liberty members who oppose sanctions should call their Senators and tell them to oppose HR 575.

Campaign for Liberty members who support increased transparency should call their Representatives and tell them to support HR 3442.

Campaign for Liberty members who want to stop the FDA from requiring pizza delivery companies from having to provide calorie counts for every possible pizza combination should call their Representatives and tell them to vote for HR 2017.